Thinking of You
by Fizz
Summary: 11 years after Hogwarts, Hermione lives with Ron. Harry, Ginny and Draco have been missing for ten years and Ron wants to get married. Hermione can't get over the loss of her friends and refuses to marry.
1. Default Chapter

# Dear Diary

_Yes, its that time again. He's upstairs getting all dolled up. I tried to get out of it this time but he won't damn let me. Every single month, will he ever give up? Every single month for ten long years. That's not counting the Christmas party (he was rather drunk). He's calling me, I've got to go. How embarrassing._

_Love_

_Hermione_

_ _

We're sitting in the restaurant. He's smiling at me as if what he's about to do is some big surprise. His red hair his gelled down, he always looks ridiculous with his hair like this. Oh God, he's struck up the band. He's getting down on one knee. There it is. His damn proposal. Marriage, family, happiness, he knows I won't get married until I know where they are. I have to explain it to him again. His face is falling. He should know how to take it, I mean he's been rejected about 120 times. He thinks they're dead, he gave up long ago. I know that if I want Ron to stop proposing I should move out. Its just, I'm scared he'll leave. Then it will be just me. All alone. He's just strode out of the restaurant. People in the restaurant are staring at me, they think I'm cruel. Some people don't look up of course. There's only a limited amount of restaurants in this town and Ron has proposed in them all more than once. Some regular restaurant goers know us so well that they pat me on the back before they leave. They understand that Ron won't give up. Damn Ron left me with the bill again. When he's really ticked off he does that. I want to say yes. I really do. But a wedding won't really be the same without them. Also, when I think of my wedding, Ron's not the groom I see at the altar no matter how hard I try. I go to pay the bill. The manager smiles at me. He knows me well, he was at the Christmas party. That horrible party was possibly the most embarrassing scene of all. It was 3 years ago and not a word had been said about the party by neither Ron nor me. Ron hardly spoke a word in the month afterwards and I couldn't look one person in town in the eye. 

It was cold outside, Ron always seemed to pick cold nights. I let myself into the house. He was staring into the fire. His eyes had no focus. I tried to mount the stairs quietly. 

"Why?" he asked, his eyes didn't move from the fire.

"You know perfectly well why, they're coming back Ron,"

Ron didn't answer. He continued to stare moodily into the fire. I walked up the stairs. I picked up the photo album and flipped to my favourite photo. There we were. Myself, Ginny, Ron and in the back of the photo, frowning grumpily, was Draco. It hadn't been the happiest time. Despite this Harry was laughing heartily and Ginny was smiling. Some kind of joke had been made about Draco. I can't quite remember what the joke was, something to do with Draco's appearance, what was it? …. His nose?… his clothes?… Ron's door slammed. It was hard to pinpoint when Ron had lost hope. He'd gone into a depressing stupor for many months and when he'd come out of it, he'd had a sense of purpose. From that time on, no one mentioned their names anymore.It had been an unspoken rule I drop my head thinking about it. I have to get out of the house. I bound the steps in a few leaps. I run outside, the cold air hist me with a sudden force. I ran and ran until I have to stop. I'm in front of 24-hour shop, inside is a man with blonde hair. My heart leaps, I looked again, the man doesn't look even remotely like Draco. My stomach dropped. I walked through the wood. There was a sparkling lake in the middle. I dive in, the cold water gave me pins and needles. Finally I drag myself out. I thought about the man in the shop. An incident like that happened nearly every day, I still feel my heart leap every time I see a flash of green eyes, a glimpse of long red hair or someone's pale hand. 

I' shivering, I start to walk, I walk rather aimlessly through the trees. I feel myself getting weaker by the moment, the air is getting colder, and my body's getting numb. Eventually I collapse, the last thing I see before I close my eyes is the moon, it's almost red, whenever I look at the moon, and I remember their faces. Then everything goes black.


	2. Parting messages

_Draco walked through the dark hallway quickly with a purpose. When he came to the portrait of the fat lady he stopped. He looked at the red headed figure on the cold stone floor with an expressionless face._

_"Practising for when you'll have to sleep on church doorsteps, are you Weasley?" he asked coldly._

_Ron turned, "Oh ha ha ha, very funny Malfoy, what are you doing here?"_

_Draco swooped to help Ron up, he'd never done that before. Ron looked at him suspiciously. _

_"I'm not going to ask how you managed to forget your password again, mostly because I don't care. Anyway, I have some more important things to say."_

_Ron glimpsed a flash of glass, or glasses he thought. He tried to turn but Draco pulled him back. _

_"Leave it, Weasley. I've got things to say. Harry. It's hard to say goodbye to yesterday but everyone has to do it, also, nothing will be the same without you, and by you I mean her as well. The last thing Weasley is th-." _

_"What are you playing at, Malfoy," Ron interrupted._

_"Look, I've said his part, I've said her part, now I'll say my part, Life goes on Weasley, remember that."_

_Malfoy turned and strode away from Ron, before he was gone he turned to look at Ron, raised his wand and said "Stupendoso," _

_The last thing Ron saw before falling down was the glint of Harry's glasses and the fiery red of Ginny's hair as they disappeared around the corner._

_ _

Ron awoke with a start, damn dreams. Memories from last night flooded into his head. It was only four in the morning. He sat up and went to check on Hermione. He opened the door to her room and saw that her bed was neatly made. The only thing out of place was a photo album, lying on her bed. He approached it and looked at it. It was a group picture of himself, Hermione and them. Them being Harry, Ginny and Draco. Draco stood off to the side, he never could take a joke. Harry had made a comment on how much he washed his hair. He looked at grumpy Draco, a frown of annoyance was poised on Draco's lips. It was weird, how Malfoy had been sent to give him the groups parting messages. Malfoy had seemed weird and out of character that night. Then again, being nice was never in Malfoy's character. He flipped to another photo, he clearly remembered telling Hermione to burn some of these. This one was of himself wearing Harry's glasses, Harry was holding a carrot above his head, to indicate that Ron was a carrot top. He remembered Draco's words. Life goes on. Life had gone on, no matter where Harry and Ginny and Malfoy were. The sun still rose everyday, sometimes he wished it didn't. It was rather obvious to him that they were dead. You-Know-Who had disappeared the day after they left. He slammed the photo album shut. A newspaper clipping floated out. The headline read"

**The Boy Who Lived Dead?**

**Where has the wizarding world's hero gone and whom did he pull down with him?**

Underneath the article it had a large picture of Harry and two smaller pictures of Draco and Ginny. In the right hand corner of the page it had a picture of Hermione's tear stained face and himself with his face hidden behind his arms. He stared at the article for a moment, he'd never seen it before. Hermione had made a pact with him to never look at those incriminating articles, obviously she had broken it. He strode down the hall, where was she at the crack of dawn? The kitchen was empty and a cool breeze was blowing through the open door. He looked outside. He had a cold feeling inside. This had happened before. Hermione had gone missing for two days and turned up in a muggle hospital a few miles away. He grabbed his broomstick and soared up into the sky. When he arrived at the hospital he walked down the aisles to the receptionist desk. He described Hermione to the nurse who said that no one of that description had come into the hospital. She gave him a strange look. It wasn't until half way down the corridor he realised he had worn wizarding robes to bed that night. He noticed a visitor regarding him as if he had just escaped from the psych ward. He noticed a red haired woman asleep with her face away from him in a room. If Hermione was here he wouldn't of thought about checking to see who it was because Hermione would have already checked. No, he wouldn't look, he was being silly, how could that be Ginny?. He walked down the corridor deep in thought. He ran straight into a man. He looked up into the greenest eyes he had ever seen, the eyes of Harry Potter. 

"Harry," he said and his voice choked. 

Before he could blink the man was gone, he ran down the corridor to where the woman had been. No one was there. Was he going crazy, why would Harry Potter be hanging around a muggle hospital? Was he feverish? Was ten years of marriage proposal rejections finally getting to his head? He ran wildly outside, no sign of anyone. He jumped on his broomstick in front of numerous muggles and flew back home. He stepped over Hermione who looked like she'd passed out drunk on the doorstep and ran upstairs. He grabbed Hermione's photo album forcefully and looked into the eye's of a smiling Harry. They were the same eyes, he was sure they were. He ran to his window and stared out of it, maybe they would come. He felt himself starting to sweat. Was he crazy? He was breathing heavily, It couldn't be, they were dead. Weren't they?

_Out of the darkness she opened her eyes. She looked up and saw the moon. Draco's face was shadowed in it, the moon always reminded her of them all. This time the moon framed just his face. She smiled warmly._

_"Come down here," she whispered then darkness enveloped her again._

Hermione opened her eyes, she had a blinding headache. She was so cold. She looked down and realised that she was sopping wet. She'd had such a strange dream. About the moon and Draco. She's had numerous dreams about the moon before. It had all started when she'd found Ginny beside the Hogwarts lake. A round shining ball had hung over her luminescent body. Inside the ball, were their faces. She looked at her fingers, sometimes she still felt the blinding pain she'd felt when she'd tried to touch the shining magical sphere. _"Only a moonchild can touch the moon,"_ Ginny's words echoed in her head. Hermione sat up, all the muscles in her body ached. She'd looked in all the books possible but she could never find one about a moonchild. When ever she went to the library any book she suspected may have had information was out of the library or gone. This had happened for many years. Librarians looking at her and telling her that no book on that subject existed. She walked stiffly inside. What had she been thinking? She started to cough. She ran up to her room and got changed. Ron should have been at work long ago. She got some coffee and drank it deeply. An owl knocked at the window. She opened up the window and let the almost black owl in. the letter was from the ministry. Ron had been seen by various muggles on a broomstick that morning. She turned around to see Charlie Weasley, the minister of magic ranting and raving and waving his hands in the fire. He was in a flap because of all the memory squads that had to be sent out. She ran up to Ron's room to see if he had left. She banged his door open. Usually they avoided each other for days after the monthly proposal but today was different. 

"What have you been doing? Charlie's going crazy? Ron , are you alright?" Ron was sitting on his bed, his knees drawn up to his chest. He was sweating profusely and breathing very heavily. She crossed the room in two short strides and felt his forehead. 

"You're as hot as lava." She looked at him concerned, she pushed him and tried to get him to lay down.

"Harry? Ginny? Where'd you go? Why did you runaway?" Ron looked at her with wild eyes.

"Shhh Ron, I'll call the doctor"

"Hermione, Oh Hermione, I saw them at the hospital, Oh, will you marry me?"

She brushed his hair from his face, he was obviously very sick. Not sick enough to forget about milking it for all it was worth though. Why did he keep proposing? 

She picked up some floo powder and prepared to leave, when she saw the daily prophet. There was an article about Ron proposing to her last night. It had a picture of the exact moment Ron's face had crumpled. The headline read:

**Still Waiting for her Harry?**

She picked up the paper and threw it at the wall, why did the prophet always get everything wrong? It was insult to herself but more than anything, it was an insult to Harry, Ginny and Draco. She leaned back and slumped on the wall. Why had they wanted to leave their best friends? Her stomach felt sick ever time she thought about how it would never be the same again. She desperately wanted her Hogwarts days back. "Please le t them come back," she whispered.

** **

Please R/R and tell me what you think. 

All characters belong to J.K Rowling. 


	3. A Brief Encounter

The door was closed. A doctor was examining Ron and Hermione was sitting on the hard backed chair outside the door. Now that she had time to get her thoughts together a few questions had arose in her mind. Although her memory from last night was a little shaky, she didn't remember how she'd gotten home. The last thing she remembered was a lake and the moon, she had been lying on grass. Not her hard cement doorstep. Her best guess was that Ron had carried her home, which didn't seem likely in his current state. This sickness had just seemed to hit him like a hurricane. He kept carrying on about Harry and Ginny, no word about Draco but then again Ron had never really liked Draco that much. The paper still lay in a bundle on the floor. Work really didn't appeal to her, she'd had so many sick days she didn't know why they kept her. She didn't really care either. The doctor walked out of the room. 

"I don't know what it is, some kind of fast moving virus maybe. I'm at a loss."

Hermione stared at him. Was he going to say something else? Something to reassure her? Such as, sure Ron will be fine or, I've got just the cure. He kept staring at her, waiting for her to reply.

"Oh, well, um, when is he going to get better?" she said.

"I'm not sure, you'll just have to keep him as best you can and call someone if it gets any worse."

The doctor looked like he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He waited uncomfortably for her to answer and when she didn't he told her he'd send the bill and apparated away. She walked into Ron's room. He looked white and he was muttering under his breath. He looked at Hermione. She looked back at him. 

"Well, what's wrong with you mister genius, you are always saying how whenever you get sick you know EXACTLY what it is."

"I'm going crazy, mad as a cut rattle, Herm, I saw Harry and Ginny, in a muggle hospital." Every word he said his eyes got wider as if he couldn't believe what was coming out of his mouth.

He looked up at her expectantly, 

"You're right you are going crazy,"

With that she walked out of the room. She felt angry with him for bringing back so many fake feelings of hope. He followed her out, tottering slightly as he walked. At the stairs he half walked half fell down. Well, she wasn't going to help him, he could just get lost. Spreading damn rubbish. She grabbed the pot of tea which was now cold, where was her wand? There was a knock at the door. 

"If that's our neighbours wanting sugar AGAIN, they can bloody well forget it."

She yanked the door open with such force that it hit the wall with a crash. There at the door was Draco. She stared at him, her eyes bulging. He had his arm over his eyes so she couldn't quite see them. 

"It's me," he said weakly. BANG, she hit him over the head with the teapot and he slunk to the floor.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He yelled. Draco Malfoy, a person who had along with his sister and best friend had been missing for ten years had shown up at the door and Hermione had done her best to kill him. 

"What a welcome, Hermione, here's my wand, why don't you finish him off?" 

Hermione sat looking harassed. "He deserved it."

"He probably knows where they are Herm, did you think of that?"

He was enraged. Malfoy was on the lounge, out cold. He felt a bit queasy when he looked at him, he put it down to shock. 

"Enervate," Malfoy stirred slightly, a few seconds later he was sitting up, holding his head. He groaned loudly. 

"Why did you hit me?" he said looking hurt.

Hermione's eyes blazed, "where have you been all these years?"

Ron thought that Malfoy looked a little guilty for a second but then thought it must be a trick of his eyes. He felt a sick swooping feeling in his stomach when Malfoy looked at him. 

"You don't need to know that," Malfoy said quietly. 

Hermione stood up with a force and started hitting him with her hands balled into fists. At first she just slapped him but then she jumped on him and kept hitting him against the chest. He had fallen on the floor and Hermione was hitting him with all the force she had in her. She yelled in rage.

"Where the hell have you been? Who do you think you are? Not a word for ten years and you won't even tell us where you've been. I hate you, I hate you more than anything. Why did you do it? Why?"

Why? The question lingered in the air. Ron had another question in his mind. Where was Harry and Ginny? He didn't ask because he was too afraid of the answer. Hermione and Draco were having a face off. She had collapsed on the floor. Her hair was all over her face and she was very pale. Between her sobs she kept uttering the same question, why? 

Malfoy stood up, he put his hand out to help Hermione but she pushed it away. 

"I shouldn't be here, every moment I'm, here hurts you both much more than you can imagine but now that I'm here…"

Draco trailed off and he looked at the window, Ron couldn't see anything. Draco's eyes were fixed on the window. Finally he looked back at Ron. He didn't look at Ron's face but fixed his gaze a little below. Ron felt a little confused, as Draco had never been one to back away from confrontations. Ron chanced a glance at Hermione, she was unconscious. He knelt down and shook her. He looked back up at Malfoy who actually turned upset.

"I shouldn't have come, wanted to say it in person, if only I could have been quicker," his voice sounded desperate. Hermione gave a funny little shudder and Ron turned to see if she was waking up. He hadn't uttered a word since Draco had woken up. He didn't turn around but voiced the question that was on his mind.

"Where is Harry and Ginny?"

He turned to look back at Malfoy but saw nothing, he was gone. Ron knew he should run out of the house and look for him but he felt tired and dizzy. He leaned back on the lounge chair and let the dizzy swirls consume him.

Please R/R and tell me what you think.

All characters belong to J.K Rowling


	4. Decisions

Ron walked into Hermione's room, the curtains were shut and it was dark. She'd been out of it for about a day and he hadn't been feeling that great himself. He sat down on her bed as gently as he could. He went to brush her hair from her face but her eyes opened and his hand stood poised above her forehead. He drew it back. It was such a relief to see that she was awake. Her eyes flitted around the room and then focused back on Ron. 

"Where's Draco?" she asked, her lips curled into a half smile, she'd obviously forgiven him. Ron put out his hand and gripped hers, losing Malfoy, Harry and Ginny was hard enough for her once. Twice was too much. She must have sensed something in his expression because she suddenly sat up and looked around again. She launched herself out of bed but her legs failed her and she lay back on the bed. 

"He's in the kitchen, right?" she said.

"He's gone Hermione, he ran off just seconds after you collapsed," Ron hung his head.

She shook her head in confusion and her eyes filled with tears. "Did you go after him?" she asked miserably. Ron felt his heart fill with shame. He hadn't even attempted to go after the stupid git. He'd felt sick and he must have dozed off because it was late at night when he finally woke up feeling groggy and dizzy. It wasn't a good enough excuse and he knew it. He couldn't admit to Hermione. 

"I had a look but he was too far gone, " he said finally, he knew Hermione's sharp brain would instantly see through this flimsy excuse. To his surprise Hermione didn't even consider Ron to be lying. In a way this made him feel worse, he felt sick to the stomach knowing he had blatantly lied to Hermione. She was trembling and her lips quivered as realisation went through her body. She looked up into his eyes "Why? I don't understand, why?" 

He shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably, he still felt very guilty. She clung her arms round his shoulders and he patted her on the back. 

"Their never going to come back, I don't know why but their not, are they Ron?"

How was he supposed to answer that? "I don't know Hermione," he said finally. She suddenly broke away from him, "I'm sick of living like this Ron, I can't do it, I'm going to grow old with nothing, nothing!" she looked up at him, her eyes wide. He didn't know what she meant.

"I'm so blind Ron, I will marry you, you are the only one for me,"

He couldn't believe it, he was so happy. He hugged her fiercely "Oh Hermione, I'm so glad." He kissed her on the head. Everything would be alright now that she loved him.

_It was a beautiful sunny day. They sat in front of an archway with flowers creeping up it like ants. Everyone was there, everyone except three very significant people. Ron was dressed neatly for once and the minister.The priest said "I know pronounce you man and wife," and then suddenly everyone was gone. In their place were Harry, Draco and Ginny. "Are we to late to stop the wedding?" Harry asked. Draco stepped forward and held out his wand, "this is meant to be," he said. AVADA KEDAVRA. No one had opened their mouths but the words cam and green light surrounded them all._

Hermione opened her eyes, she felt uneasy. Nightmares had been haunting her sleep for days since she had agreed to marriage. Of course it was meant to be, Ron was the most important thing in the world to her. She bounded downstairs. Ron was frying eggs and whistling downstairs. Unlike her he had been in an extremely cheerful disposition for days. He wanted a big wedding. Everyone had to be there, no one could be left out. But the three most important people will be left out she couldn't help but think. The news hadn't gone public yet but it was only a matter of time. Ron grabbed his wand, he gave her a peck on the cheek and then apparated.He worked in a high rank place in the ministry of magic. He had been offered some Quidditch positions but had declined them as he was always being compared to Harry. She had flitted in and out of jobs for year. Ministry jobs, dragon keeping, teaching, designing, the list went on. Nothing had really made her happy.She had just quit her most recent job and had invited Colin Creevey over for the day. Ron despised Colin but Hermione found she rather related to him. Colin had become rather secluded over the years and he kept to himself. Unlike h is brother Dennis who had become a rather popular singing star. Colin arrived in a flurry. He had become increasingly untidy and sometimes acted rather strange. He was only wearing one sock today and there was a large hole in his hat. He gave a toothy smile to Hermione. His light brown hair was ruffled up and he didn't look hardly any different to the smiling star struck boy from so many years ago who had followed Harry around with his camera. He flopped into a kitchen chair and beamed at her. "Finally let him get the best of you eh Herm? Can't say I'm not happy you're finally tying the knot." 

She sighed and sat down. Colin pulled out a rather small camera and clicked it a few times. "Framing the moment," he said. Hermione always felt uncomfortable at Colin's because instead of wallpaper he had picture after picture. They dated back to when she was 12 and there were millions. Had he not ever heard of photo albums? 

"Why the sudden change of heart, Hermione?" he asked. 

"I'm sick of being alone and Ron has always been special to me. We live in the same house, we don't argue THAT much. It seems like the logical thing."

"Logical? You always used to be logical and then he lost any reason you had. Could your reason have come back because of a certain blonde boy appearing?"

She gasped. How did he know about that? She snapped at him in frustration and he laughed. "I was taking a trip to your house and I caught a glimpse, even got a few photo's, I didn't say anything because I thought you'd ring me, where is the infamous Draco Malfoy?"

Hermione cast her eyes downward" he left," she said quietly. 

"You think that if he left so quickly after so many years and Harry and Ginny weren't with him that means he doesn't care and won't come back and that Harry and Ginny are dead? If you keep thinking about them your life will waste away? Do you really want to marry Ron?"

His brown eyes were intense and hey bored into her. 

"Of course, Ron's special, it's the right thing to do," she said. 

"Sometimes the right thing to do is very wrong Hermione, if you obey your feelings even if you think they're wrong, things will always turn out right." He leant back trying to look philosophical and wise but ended up falling over backward on his chair and doing a very undignified somersault. He leapt up, his pride wounded. 

Hermione smiled, he had been doing a good impression of Dumbledore for a while, then again Colin did like watching Muggle movies and reading a lot of their novels. He was always quoting someone. 

"Thanks for the advice Colin, watching that movie sure did you justice."

Colin rose up, "movie? How dare you, I spent at least three years making that up." 

He grabbed his hat and stuffed it on his head, dust flew everywhere and made him cough. The hat looked extremely stupid on him, she didn't know why he wore it. He ripped his hat off and what was unmistakably a muggle video camera fell out. Hermione's head shot up, what was he doing with a video camera? 

"Er, sorry Hermione, I just wanted a video of me and you so I can fix it in my memory." 

Hermione pushed him out the door and slammed it. She didn't know what he was doing with a camera but it couldn't be good. Dishonest or not, he had gave her something to think about. 

Suddenly his head appeared through the window "My theory is that Draco found out his father or mother or grand father, it doesn't matter who was the phantom and was a so called "living ghost" so he had to go take on the job after whoever it was died, Harry and Ginny went along for the ride, it was a big secret and they couldn't tell you," he had to shout the last bit because She slammed the window on him.

In the next chapter a lot of mysteries will be answered and a few unexpected people will pop up. 

All characters belong to J.K Rowling, please R/R and tell me what you think.


	5. Finding Secrets

Ron sat in his dreary office, despite the fact that he was overloaded with work he still smiled to himself

I am really sorry I took so long to put this up but I have been on school camp and had a few assignments and I haven't had time. I promise to put all the next chapters up much quicker. Tell me what you think. I will be putting another chapter of Ron and the Quick Quotes Quill on in the next 2 or 3 days.

Ron sat in his dreary office, despite the fact that he was overloaded with work he still smiled to himself. He had a look at some of his papers. Gregory Goyles father had died in azkaban that morning. Nearly all the death eaters had been found and arrested after Voldemorts death. A few had gotten away of course, Wormtail being one of them. Ron comforted himself by thinking that he probably lived as a rat in old sewer pipes. He looked out the window and noticed that today was particularly windy, he loved it when it was windy. Hermione had always said that he was crazy but the wind always gave him a sense of power. He opened up the window and stuck his head out. His hair blew around his face crazily. He nearly felt as if he could fly, he considered trying for a moment. He shook his head, he was seven storeys off the ground what was he thinking? A paper swept off his desk and out the window, he reached for it and it arched up high and then floated lightly down to him. He smiled, pleased with his good luck. 

"Don't fall out" a voice said from the door. He whirled around, it was Hermione. 

He jerked away from the window.

"Don't you hate it when it's windy?" she said absentmindedly.

Ron grinned, "You know I love it."

She shook her head. He wondered why she was here. She rarely visited in the middle of the day.

She leant on the desk uneasily, it was obviously she wasn't staying long because she had not taken off her cloak, which she had wrapped tightly around her. She had always felt the cold badly. 

"I was wondering whether you'd like to take a walk and we can…talk," she said last word with a strange firmness.

"Yes, it's about time for my lunch break anyway," Ron said with a stretch. 

They walked outside and Hermione turned left towards the wood.

"The wood? It's a dangerous place Herm," he exclaimed.

"That's nonsense Ron, I want to see what's inside. I've always wanted to walk through the wood," she said, her eyes alight.

Ron looked at the wood, he supposed it wasn't like sneaking into the trees at Hogwarts. He gave her a little smile and they pushed on. It was extremely dark in the wood and Ron wondered whether he had done the right thing. Hermione gave an excited little laugh with sounded very out of character from Hermione. He pondered vaguely on the chance that Hermione had lost her mind and was going to murder him in the wood. He gave a little smile and Hermione gave a little flinch.

"Ron, I know this will sound stupid but… do you really want to marry me?" she said unsurely.

"Of course, I have only been proposing for more than 10 years."

This question disorientated him a bit. Was she trying to tell him that the marriage wasn't right? He noticed Hermione's pace quicken. She even looked upset. Suddenly a noise caused them both to halt. They both saw it, a figure in the distance. 

"No one ever comes into these wood," he whispered fiercely, urgently to Hermione.

Hermione broke into a run. She had never been terribly fast but he had trouble keeping up. He could no longer see the figure, Hermione gave a little scream and then she disappeared. He skidded to where she had been. But there was nothing

Just silence.

***

She kept falling for a long time and for one brief moment she thought maybe she'd fallen into a bottomless pit. She couldn't she the top and she couldn't she the bottom. She hit something soft with a thud. The thing clasped around her and she got the feeling that it was there specially to catch someone. It was very dark, she had never been able to see in the dark, Draco had had night vision but she had always had trouble. She inched forward and found herself in a hallway, she followed it down until she came to a cross section, she went straight ahead. This room was slightly alight. There was a large bed that she approached. The person in the bed looked very small and frail. She had some kind of head warmer on and only her eyes and nose were visible, her nose was littered with freckles. Awestruck, Hermione ran her hands over the familiar nose. Ginny's face was incredibly dirty and boiling hot. One hand stuck out from under the blanket and it was painfully thin. Hermione longed to grab a strand of Ginny's flaming red hair, which always seemed to make things brighter at Hogwarts. 

Hs heard voices from down the hall, they floated down to her ears. 

"Stop being ridiculous, it hurts to much. We can't," one voice said. 

"Oh come on, if we only used one person it might put him in a coma" said a vaguely familiar voice.

"Him?" said the other voice accusingly.

"You'd have better conversation if he was in a coma," the voice said with a hint of amusement. 

The voices disappeared. Hermione turned back to Ginny. She wasn't concerned about anyone else. She shook her slightly but the small eyes did not open.

"She won't wake up, she's sick," a voice said from behind her, she spun around quickly. She was so startled she didn't say anything. Draco took a few steps back until he was against the wall.

"We don't know what's wrong with her," he said sadly, eyeing Ginny with a frown. 

She took a step forward but Draco stopped her, "Don't make a move, you can't come closer."

"Is Harry here?" she asked eagerly, She just wanted to see al three, standing in the same room. Together. 

"You don't want to see Harry, he's disgusting, I don't think he's looked in the mirror for years. Just because we live underground I don't think he should have let himself go so much."

There was a yell from outside "are you talking to the mirror about me again Malfoy."

A figure jumped into the room with an angry frown that had a grin shining through it.

"Oh, that's right, you look exactly the same, I just forgot how ugly you were at Hogwarts," Draco drawled.

Harry hadn't seen Hermione yet and it seemed Draco didn't want him to. He grabbed a door that Hermione hadn't seen before and slammed it shut. There was a brief argument outside where Harry seemed to be insisting he give Ginny her dinner and Draco argued that when you hadn't woken up for three days there wasn't much chance of eating. 

The door flew open and Harry looked up to see a startled Hermione. 

The plate dropped with a crash.

Ron tried to tell the ministry officer what happened but the man was an idiot.

"So, you were in the most dangerous wood in town, you started running and your fiancée fell down a hole which later disappeared? Is that right?" the man said.

Ron tried to explain that it wasn't like that but he was tired and the man was right, even if it did sound stupid. 

"Look, if you are going to tell stories go to the pub down the road," the man said grumpily and he stood up and left. Ron knew the ministry wouldn't put up with much. His dad had retired from the ministry and was living a life of luxury. He had such a boring little job that no one even knew him. He remembered seeing his dad walking around socialising with the other officers. He had never done that. He had kept to himself, if his dad ever asked about him at the office no one would know who he was.

He went back to the wood and investigated some more. There must be some kind of lever or something. Maybe this is what happened to Harry and the others, they simply disappeared. He sat in the wood and put his head in his hands.

***

All characters belong to J.K Rowling, the plot belongs to me. 

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapters and again I am really sorry about taking so long to post.


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